WEST YORKSHIRE GROUP : NEWSLETTER AUGUST 2023
There will be a meeting of the West Yorkshire Group of the Civil Service Pensioners Alliance at 11 AM on Wednesday 13 September 2023. The venue is the PCS Offices in the Merrion Centre, Leeds.
AGENDA
- Apologies for absence
- Minutes of the last Group Meeting held on 12 July 2023. (draft attached)
- Report from the Committee Meeting held on 9 August 2023 (notes attached)
- Consideration of National AGM motions (please bring your copy of Autumn edition of The Pensioner for easy reference)
- Campaigning Priorities
- Future Guest Speakers
- Guest Speaker ‘ Scams and How to Avoid Them.’ Name of Speaker to be confirmed
- Any other Business (to be notified in writing to the Chair prior to the commencement of the meeting)
FUTURE MEETING DATES
The Committee has scheduled the following dates for future Group Meetings:
Wednesday 13 December 2023
Wednesday 20 March 2024
Wednesday 27 June 2024
Wednesday 25 September 2024
Wednesday 11 December 2024
It is our intention that these dates are published in The Pensioner, but just in case please store in electronic diaries or keep this paper safe until 2024 – paper diaries are available in W.H. Smith
NEWS ON THE TRIPLE LOCK
The Prime Minister has confirmed that the triple lock will be honoured next year. This will not have come as a surprise to anyone as the next General Election will be held next year, and every politician knows that pensioners vote in significantly greater numbers than other age groups. However, next year’s rise in the state pension is almost certain to be linked to the rise in wages rather than the rise in prices. This is because pay is finally rising faster than prices. The latest figures I have available are that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose by 6.8% last month, still bad enough, but well down on the terrifying 11.1% recorded last October. When the triple lock is triggered by wages, the May to July quarter is used, and pay inflation is predicted to be 8.2% over that quarter, so if that is correct, we can expect to see a rise in our state pensions by that % next April.
Come the General Election campaign, it will be vital to hold candidates’ feet to the fire regarding the triple lock. 50% of state pensioners have insufficient pension income to meet the income tax threshold, that is pension income of less than £12,500 per annum. The maintenance of the triple lock is not greed on our part. It plays a key role in reducing pensioner poverty and offers something to future generations whose occupational pensions will be inferior to ours as defined benefit inflation protected schemes disappear from the private sector, and are watered down in the public sector. The fact that around £1.7 billion worth of pension credit goes unclaimed every year, worth on average £3.5k per claimant only adds to the problems of the poorest pensioners. Claiming pension credit unlocks other benefits such as free dentistry and the 2023-24 Cost of Living payments towards energy bills. If you know someone who could be eligible, please encourage them to claim.
HOW MUCH WILL OUR CIVIL SERVICE PENSIONS INCREASE IN 2024?
Our Civil Service pensions will increase in April 2024, by the CPI rate of inflation in September 2023. We do not know what the figure will be yet, but it is likely to be lower than the current 6.8%. Thus there will be two different figures used to calculate pension increases next year for Civil Service pensioners who have reached state pension age.
NATIONAL AGM OCTOBER 2023The latest edition of The Pensioner should have by now reached your doormats. You may have noticed that the West Yorkshire Group has two resolutions on the agenda; Motion A32 regarding buses, and A39 on banking hubs. If you want your delegate to vote a particular way on any motion on the agenda, please come to the next Group Meeting on 13 September, and argue the case. Mandating actually strengthens the credibility of the CSPA.
PAUL LAXTON, Chair
CSPA West Yorkshire Group
DRAFT MINUTES OF THE 2023 CSPA WEST YORKSHIRE GROUP AGM: HELD ON 12.07.2023
Present: Paul Laxton, (Group Chair), Jean Ainsworth, Linda Rawson, David Parkinson, John Welham, Steve Dodd, Alan Swift, Andy Aitchison (Regional Rep.)
MINUTES OF THE LAST AGM
These were accepted as correct. There were no matters arising.
OFFICERS’ REPORTS
The Chair reported that a Committee meeting had taken place after the last AGM, but in the interim both the Secretary and Membership Secretary had resigned their posts on health grounds, although both felt able to continue as Committee members. As a consequence there was no Group meeting in March, and the Chair felt it necessary to hold this year’s AGM early in a bid to fill the post. The Chair had put out an appeal for volunteers in a newsletter. David Parkinson drafted two resolutions which he wanted to forward to the National AGM in October. The Chair and the Regional Rep. forwarded the resolutions to HQ in order to meet the deadline for submission and the AGM was asked to ratify them post hoc. He explained that if the Group did not wish to proceed with the resolutions, they could be withdrawn swiftly at this early stage.
The resolutions read as follows:
1.) This AGM recognises the success of the recent Bus Conference held under the auspices of the National Pensioners Convention in York. All the organisations there resolved to organise a National Bus Week and to campaign to improve bus services. This AGM instructs the EC to join this campaign to improve services both local and metropolitan.
2.) This AGM notes with concern the very slow roll out of banking hubs, with only four of the proposed forty-six having been opened. This AGM demands the speedy rollout of the hubs in view of the accelerating closure of bank branches, and instructs the EC to join the campaign to get these hubs open as soon as possible.
The Group approved the submission of the resolutions.
David Parkinson attended the Pensioners Parliament held in Blackpool in June. It was agreed that the Chair, Paul Laxton, and David Parkinson will attend the National AGM in October.
The Treasurer reported a positive balance of £1,365.35. Linda will get the books updated shortly.
There was no membership report as that post is now vacant.
ELECTION OF OFFICERS
Paul Laxton was re-elected as Chair, and Linda Rawson was re-elected as Treasurer. John Welham, Steve Dodd, and David Parkinson were re-elected to the Committee. However there were no takers for the vacant posts of Secretary and Membership Secretary.
GUEST SPEAKER: ANDY AITCHISON, North East Regional Representative
Andy reported that Groups could now operate more informally. He expressed the view that formal constitutions do not necessarily help groups operate. People will need to do bits and pieces to keep groups alive. Currently 60% of members live in areas where there is no functioning Group. The EC will be putting a comprehensive motion on structure to the AGM in October after widespread consultation. GC 939 refers. The motion will also be published in the Autumn edition of The Pensioner which will hit doormats in September. It was resolved that the West Yorkshire Group will
remain open, and that the existing Committee with assistance from the Regional Rep. will seek to cover the gaps and keep the Group alive. The Chair will organise a Committee meeting and one of its first tasks will be to agree a definitive calendar of meetings and events to be submitted for publication in the Winter edition of The Pensioner which will be out in early December. Andy is also looking to do a Regional Officer’s Newsletter, but this will be online only as postage costs are prohibitive.
The Regional Representative also reported on some administrative difficulties at HQ. The posting of newsletters and meeting notices has been outsourced and this has led to these arriving very late. The Members’ Information is being updated leading to some access problems at the moment. HQ is also purging the Membership lists. Individuals can check their status by ringing HQ. A new General Secretary, Sally Tsoukaris, has been appointed to replace Lisa Ray.
The AGM concluded at 12.45 PM.
COMMITTEE MEETING 09 AUGUST 2023
Notes in brief:
The balance at the bank is £1,365.35. The Treasurer reported that the previous external volunteer to scrutinize the accounts had resigned. External scrutiny of the accounts is mandatory. John Welham agreed to source an external scrutineer which would allow him to be the second scrutineer and makes us compliant again with HQ requirements. The committee agreed than an honorarium of £25 could be offered.
John Welham agreed to source a guest speaker on ‘Scams.’
John Welham reported from the Leeds Older People’s Forum. It was noted that £17 million went unclaimed locally in Pension Credit, (nationally the figure is £1.7 billion) and that claimants were losing some £3.5k per annum. We agreed that this should be publicised and that we should encourage anyone we know who may be eligible to claim to do so.
It was noted that Attendance Allowance is not means tested. The current higher rate is £101.65 and the lower rate £68.10. Although these amounts are less than generous when compared to the cost of residential care or visiting carers, the money is particularly useful for helping people whose partners, spouses and families provide all the care.
It was agreed that future guest speakers should include someone from the local authority on the subject of social care, and a solicitor to talk about power of attorney. Tracey Brabin, the West Yorkshire Mayor, may be able to provide a speaker from amongst her policy advisors. David Parkinson will follow this up.
It was agreed that the Group should support the campaign for the state pension to represent 70% of the Living Wage.